BY RAIL
HIGHLIGHTS OF PRAGUE, BUDAPEST AND VIENNA RAIL TOUR
9 nights / 10 days From £ 1,630 per person
Prague
PRAGUE • BUDAPEST • VIENNA
This luxury rail touring holiday encompasses a trio of central European cities: Prague, Vienna and Budapest. Each city bears witness to some of the most striking events in the history of Europe and boasts an abundance of fascinating sights and places to visit including imperial palaces, ancient castles and iconic architecture.
DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY
DAY ONE Travel from London to Zurich Begin your holiday by travelling to Zurich by rail. You will catch the Eurostar from London to Paris and after changing stations, carry on to Zurich on a direct service which takes a further 4 hours. Once in Zurich, time to have supper near the station before continuing your journey on the EuroNight overnight sleeper train to Prague.
DAY TWO Arrival in Prague You arrive in Prague mid-morning if travelling by sleeper train. Check into your hotel in Prague for two nights.( If you fly into Prague, this is day one of the holiday).
DAY THREE In Prague Take a stroll across Charles Bridge as it spans the River Vltava and links the old town with the Mala Strana( lesser or little town) and continue uphill towards Prague Castle, one of the city’ s most popular sights. St Vitus Cathedral is near to the castle and can be seen from around the city. Spend time exploring Prague’ s old town where you can enjoy Old Town Square, the Astronomical Clock( dating from 1410 and the oldest astronomical clock in the world that is still working) and Wenceslas Square. Prague enjoys a cultural reputation of immense stature in Europe and there are numerous opera and concert performances that can be booked. Unique to Prague is the Laterna Magika where classical principles of non-verbal theatre mingle with dance, film images and black light theatre. Prague’ s rich cultural heritage can be experienced in visits to any number of museums in the city: Czech museum of music, Mucha museum, Franz Kafka museum, Antonin Dvorak museum, the Narodni museum and the City of Prague museum. Be sure to taste traditional pork or beef and dumplings at a typical Old Town restaurant.
DAY FOUR Prague to Budapest by train After a leisurely final breakfast in Prague, depart on the direct service from Prague to Budapest via Bratislava in Slovakia. You stay in Budapest for two nights.
DAY FIVE In Budapest In Budapest explore the tree-lined boulevards of Pest and the cobbled hilly streets of Buda. The city straddles a curve in the River Danube and is packed with interesting sights to visit on foot but also easily reached by underground. Visit the Castle District in Buda where you can find mediaeval buildings such as the Royal Palace which has been rebuilt several times over the past seven centuries and houses the National Gallery, Budapest Historical Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art. You can also visit the 13th Century St Matthias Church and the neo-Gothic Fishermen’ s Bastion nearby. The worldfamous Gellért Thermal Baths are highly favoured by locals and tourists alike. Margaret Island is a pretty park situated in the middle of the Danube reachable by tram or bus. It boasts more than 10,000 trees, beautiful gardens and a swimming pool. Linking Buda to Pest is the magnificent Chain Bridge built in the mid-19th Century. On the east of the river, you will find Pest which is home to historical buildings such as the vast neo-Gothic Parliament which houses the Hungarian crown jewels. Another building not to miss is the Hungarian State Opera House where you can experience a guided tour or an opera performance. On two-mile long, tree-lined Andrassy ut you will find elegant shops and houses, Heroes Square and the Museum of Fine Arts. The thermal springs of Budapest have been enjoyed since Roman times and baths are to be found in both Buda and in Pest, where the Szechenyi Baths are one of the largest bathing complexes in Europe, with outdoor and indoor pools, built in modern Renaissance style.
DAY SIX Budapest to Vienna by train Take the train from Budapest to Vienna in about 3 hours’ enjoying the scenery of the Danube valley. You stay in Vienna for three nights.
94 To speak to our specialist rail holidays team telephone 01392 441250 or see www. expressionsholidays. co. uk